Helpful Resources

Entrepreneurship Competitions

Think you've got the next big idea and want to vet it with experts? Ready to practice
your business pitch and potentially win prizes to help you get your idea off the ground?
We've got some competitions for you.

The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship holds six entrepreneurship competitions per year. The Big Idea Poster Competition
and Tiger Cage are held in both the fall and spring semester while the Business Model
Competition is offered in the spring only.

The Big Idea Poster Competition

Do you have a great idea for a business, product or nonprofit organization? Put that
idea on paper and get feedback in a low-pressure environment from judges. Participants
create posters communicating their ideas and will display them in a public format
for a panel of judges.

Why participate?

This is your chance to explore your ideas and begin thinking about how to turn them
into action. You'll get to network with the professional judges and get useful feedback
in a low-pressure environment.

Date & Time: Oct. 9, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.Location: West Village Commons, Ballrooms B & CPrizes: Automatic advancement to Tiger Cage competition and recognition in college media
for the first, second and third place winners.Deadline to enter: Oct. 2

Big Idea Poster Competition DETAILS

Rules

Competition is open to the Towson University campus community. Interested participants
must fill out this short online form by Oct. 2.

The competition is focused on pre-startup or early stage ideas (a product/service/technology/business)
in development. Ideas may be for profit or not-for-profit.

Ideas must be in compliance with all federal, state and local laws and regulation.

Entries may be submitted by individuals or teams. Posters due on site at the competition
before 8:30 a.m. or to Student Launch Pad priorto 5 p.m. on Oct. 8.

Applicants are required to have two mentor sessions to review their poster by designated
mentors. See startup resources below. Applicants who do not attend two mentor session
will be disqualified from the competition.

Participants must use the poster template (Power Point file). Posters must be 36" long by 42" high. Submitted posters deviating from the prescribed
format will be disqualified.

Guidelines & Criteria

All types of ideas are welcome but should be fairly developed. If you need assistance
in developing or refining your idea, see startup resources below.

Successful applications will offer growth potential and scalability. Ideas will be
reviewed for the potential to be in business in five years.

Posters will be judged on concept, clarity, comprehensiveness, feasibility and potential
value of opportunity.

Posters should be self-explanatory and visually attractive. Viewers should be able to read
a poster in less than five minutes. The participating team member will have one to
two minutes to explain their idea to the judging team. Images, diagrams, and graphs
are a great way to make your research accessible to an audience with a short attention
span.

The Tiger Cage

Ready to practice your business pitch and potentially win prizes to help you get your
idea off the ground? In this fast-paced pitch competition inspired by TV’s “Shark
Tank” series, you will give a short pitch on your big for-profit or not-for-profit
idea. Selected finalists will go on to present to a panel of seasoned entrepreneurs
and business people who will select the winner.

Why participate?

All participants will benefit from invaluable, helpful and encouraging feedback and
input on your idea and presentation.

WORKSHOPS

Business Model Competition

Build out a business model for your idea using the Business Model Canvas and you could
win money to help get your idea off the ground and running! Participants put their
models on posters, which will be displayed at Entrepreneurship @ TU Demo Day from
5-7 p.m. on May 1. Participants present and get feedback from a panel of entrepreneurship
professionals.

Ideas must be in compliance with all federal, state, and local laws/regulation

Requirement: Applicants are required to participate in one of the Innovation Calisthenics and
have one mentor meeting to review their business model canvas. See Startup Resources below. Applicants who do not attend two sessions will be disqualified from the competition.

Participants are required to submit a 24” x 36” Business Model Canvas mounted on foam board. Submissions that deviate from the Business Model Canvas will
be disqualified.

Successful applications generally offer growth potential and scalability. Ideas will
be reviewed for the potential to be in business in five years.

BMCs will be judged on concept, clarity, comprehensiveness, feasibility, and potential
value.